Chiral pool

The chiral pool is a "collection of abundant enantiopure building blocks provided by nature" used in synthesis.

This strategy is especially helpful if the desired molecule resembles cheap enantiopure natural products.

The alternative to the use of the chiral pool is asymmetric synthesis, whereby achiral precursors are employed or racemic intermediates are resolved.

The incorporation of the C10 precursor verbenone, a member of the chiral pool, makes the production of paclitaxel more efficient than most alternatives.

Chiral pool synthesis is used to build a part of epothilone (an alternative to paclitaxel) from readily available enantiopure (–)-pantolactone.